Education & Youth Services Intern, Spring 2025

SCOPE OF INTERN SERVICE:

The Education & Youth Services (EYS) program is part of the IRC's holistic and integrated approach to resettlement. EYS assist refugee youth and their families in navigating the U.S. education system in the Louisville area. The Spring 2025 Education & Youth Services Internworks in close coordination with the EYS Manager to design, develop, and deliver structured School Orientation sessions on topics about U.S. school systems, school attendance, transportation, safety, healthcare/immunizations, and cultural adjustment.

The intern will play a key role in facilitating educational support services, helping newly resettled refugee students adjust to school environments, and enhancing their academic and social integration. This role offers interns hands-on experience in educational programming, client services, and the opportunity to contribute to the empowerment of refugee youth and their families.

This is an unpaid internship position that requires a minimum commitment of 10 hours per week for at least three months.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

• Intern will develop an understanding of the local resources available to refugee and immigrant clients in the Louisville area.
• Intern will deepen their understanding of the unique barriers, challenges, and assets of the refugee and immigrant communities.
• Intern will gain experience in teaching, program coordination, and curriculum design.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provide equal treatment to all client groups in accordance with the agency's commitment to the dignity of all persons.
• Coordinate with EYS staff and clients to schedule School Orientation for students and their families.
• Schedule interpreters for School Orientation meetings as needed.
• Support in the administration of school enrollment preparations.
• Assist EYS staff in development of revised curriculum for School Orientation and the curriculum for the after-school program.
• Coordinate with EYS Staff to deliver tutoring, homework help, and academic coaching for refugee youth in the after-school program.
• Help organize and coordinate after-school enrichment activities that focus on academic improvement, social development, and cultural integration.
• Help facilitate parent-teacher meetings and serve as a liaison between parents, students, teachers, and school administrators.
• Support the planning and implementation of educational field trips, volunteer events, and community outreach programs aimed at enhancing youth engagement.
• Other duties as assigned.

REQUIREMENTS

• Must be a current undergraduate student, graduate student, or less than 12 months past graduation.
• Access to a personal vehicle/reliable transportation; IRC Louisville cannot support securing transportation or housing for interns.
• Candidates must be a U.S. citizen or must have active and compliant visas and work authorization status in the United States (the IRC must not be represented as a sponsor or host in any application, filing, or other context for an intern).
• Ability to handle sensitive client information confidentially.
• Strong intercultural communication skills, including demonstrated ability to work effectively with people from diverse backgrounds and across language barriers.
• Ability to work independently and as a part of a team.
• Adherence to IRC volunteer/intern and workplace policies.
• Fluency/proficiency in English, both spoken and written, are required; proficiency in language(s) spoken by client group is desired, but not required.

TRAINING & GUIDANCE

• In-depth training will be provided for interns to understand IRC programming and the various needs of clients accessing IRC services. Interns will receive training on IRC's federal R&P and APA service agreements and their programmatic requirements for resettlement services.
• Interns with client languages who could serve as an interpreter will receive guidance on policies when interpreting. Other activity specific training will be provided as needed.
• Flexibility, initiative, and a desire to collaborate are essential qualities for this intern opportunity. A high-level of confidentiality is required when working with IRC clients.

Equal Opportunity Employer: We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.